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Topic Review (Newest First)

09-11-2003 03:42 PM

Augustan

If you really can''t stand school, at least get a trade or skill behind you. Diesel mechanic would be great as you could then earn money fixing other cruisers boats.....offering them a cheaper rate than boatyards would give you an edge.

Even something like a truck and forklift licence will elevate you above the bottom level of the employment market (it is a market, you are the product and if you don''t have anything to offer then no one will buy!!). However, I''m not sure these skills would be much use outside of the U.S. anyway.

But you are better off sticking with school until you graduate, your attitude to it might change by then and you will have more options.

Having said all this, I did drop out of High School at the age of 15.
But I am lucky to have two facts on my side.

1. I was born in Australia.
2. I was born in 1967

I am also lucky to have landed a postal worker job 15 years ago, driving vans, trucks and forklifts. Secure government jobs like this no longer exist here except for those like me lucky enough to already be in them.

You will notice I have used the word lucky a few times. Luck truly was on my side. Enthusiasm to learn and work also helped me. But things were different when I was your age and I would hate to be your age and unskilled now, even living in "The Lucky Country"

I know now that I can always get work because I have some skills to offer. It won''t make me rich, but it''s enough for me to now own a decent 29 footer and my own home.

I was also lucky enough to buy my own home right before the huge real estate boom that has been happening in this country for the last five years. This turned my initial $10,000 investment into $100,000 in five years!! That is what I would have in my pocket if I sold up now and paid out the remaining mortgage. But this is still not enough for me to chuck the job and go sailing long term.

But I am in a position to think about taking a year off to sail the Great Barrier Reef, this may or may not satisfy my urge to go cruising but I''ll worry about that later.

So the bottom line is this........

At the age of 36, I am now in a position to go medium term cruising because...

1. I have some skills that are in reasonable demand.

2. I have real estate and other assets behind me.

Just to finish up now, I was 17 last week (or so it seems!!!)

I wake up this morning and I''m almost 37!!!

Where did that 20 years go? I''m glad I didn''t waste it!!!

Oh yeah, stay off the drugs......I smoked lots of pot when young but couldn''t be bothered with it now. Sailing and simply messing about in boats is enough high for me now, along with a scotch or two in the cockpit at sundown :-)

Darren
S/V Augustan
Sydney, Australia

09-02-2003 01:11 PM

jbarros

I''ve been speaking with Jeff for over a year now. He''s still yet to set foot aboard a sailing vessle, although he lives 20 miles from the coast. but he''s young, and he IS smart, and he''s learning. He just questions EVERYTHING, which can be frustrating at times, but if you show him something concrete, he''ll listen.

When I originaly met him, he was going to drop out of highschool, never have a job, build a boat out of wood he found in the forest, and live on fish.

Now he has a job, is saving money for a boat, and wants to live minimaly.

Personaly, I think he should GET ON A BOAT!!!! and read Voyaging on a small income, everything by the Pardee''s, and the like, so he can understand whats involved in the type of minimalist sailing life he wants. It can be done on little income, (albeit not the interest on 10,000) but it takes discipline, hard work, and a special dedication. It''s best to learn this from working on boats, and doing small passages on other peoples dimes, on their boats, rather than trying to buy something you cant afford for something you dont know if you want to do, especialy when you dont have a clue how to do it.

On happyness, I belive The good Mr. Leary said it best:

God.. "I''m just not happy. I''m just not happy. I''m just not happy because my life didn''t turn out the way I thought it would." Hey! Join the ******* club, ok!? I thought I was going to be the starting center fielder for the Boston Red Socks. Life sucks, get a ******* helmet, allright?! "I''m not happy. I''m not happy." Nobody''s happy, ok!? Happiness comes in small doses folks. It''s a cigarette, or a chocolate cookie, or a five second orgasm. That''s it, ok! You cum, you eat the cookie, you smoke the butt, you go to sleep, you get up in the morning and go to ******* work, ok!? That is it! End of ******* list! "I''m just not happy." Shut the **** up, allright?

Jeff, you listening to these people?

-- James

09-02-2003 08:30 AM

jbanta

It''s time to let this young foo get his education. He will get obne weather it be in the classroom or out is what for his is bound to be a very cruel world. If he insists he should quit school and get a boat and take off. It''s a very expensive way to learn but it''s his life. Maybe when the world has taught him a few things he''ll be much more open to common sence.

09-02-2003 05:22 AM

aggiemom39

Jeff--I am curious about one thing.How much sailing experience have you had? In all your posts, I read how you think that sailing will be an "easy" and "cheap" life. I don''t see anywhere that you LOVE sailing, or in fact have a passion about anything except complaining about how hard life is at the grand old age of 17-18. It sounds like perhaps your father and brother haven''t set fantastic examples, but here is a little fact: LIFE IS NOT EASY AND WE ALL HAVE ADVERSITIES in our lives. I won''t bore you with mine, but I rose above some rough times as a teenager; that''s called growing up. I have a teen-aged son, and have to prod him from time-to-time to not take the easiest route in school, to stretch himself to make the most of his abilites. I see him maturing, one step forward, sometimes two steps back, but he is beginning to realize that perhaps his parents ARE RIGHT and that sometimes the easiest way is not the best way in the long run. You are too young to limit your options. At least get your GED, and look into some trade like others have suggested. Perhaps you aren''t meant for Yale, but it doesn''t mean that you aren''t cut out for other training in a good field. Find your passion in life, and try to soar, not just get by.

09-02-2003 05:22 AM

aggiemom39

09-02-2003 05:07 AM

928frenzy

Let''s see if I can knock some sense into you.

First, $40k for a 27'' to 40'' boat seems fair, but may be a bit low for the upper range you''re considering. Even if you do find a 40'' boat for that price, it''ll probably need lots of TLC and major repairs, maybe needed sooner rather than later. :^(

Second, (IMO) a nest-egg of only $10k is woefully underfunded. One bad break (physical or mechanical) could cause you to go through that $10k in no time at all.

Third, I''m sorry to hear that your Dad and brother were not happy with the type of work they did. I''m sure that happens to many folks, but just in case you don''t know it "Life is Real". There are no guarantees that we''ll all have a pleasant one. The Preamble to the Constitution guarantees us "Life, Liberty, and the persuit of happiness..." That means you have the right to persue it, but it''s not gauranteed.

However, you are not your Dad or your brother. You may find work that is satisfying and rewarding. The chances of finding such a job increase geometrically as you increase your educational level. As you said, "there are lots of famous folks how have made it without a H.S. diploma." Well, I''ve got bad news for you - they are the exceptions to the rule. There are lots more (perhaps millions) who have made it big with a H.S. diploma.

Last, you totally ignor the fact that your health may not hold up over time. One bad fall or a bout with bad food and you could be layed-up for weeks - unable to work or worse, in a hospital with no way of paying for the care.

So let me ask you this - do you plan to be self sufficient, or do you plan to be a burden on society? BTW, if you don''t have a plan, then you''re likely going to be a burden on society. Since the rest of us think we will wind up supporting you, don''t be surprised that we think your ideas are poorly thought through.

Jeff, if you don''t know what i am talking about you will never get to where you want to go.

You have to know this inside and out, forward and backwards and be able to do most of in your head.

My point is, that maybe a traditional high school is not right for you but in order to be a good sailor an education is essential. Check out some the "Sea school" programs, Navy and or Coast Guard. Please remember that the Buddhist monks don''t have solar panels and GPS, so if you want to go simple and cheap and keep your boat off the rocks. Please studying navigation as a start to your on water education.

09-02-2003 03:38 AM

Stede

Jeffamc,

I don''t think you sound immature,or naive.It sounds like you know what you want to me.That''s a good thing.So many people never know what they want.If I were your age,I would probably be doing the same thing you''re doing,but I would be doing it after I finished high school,and college,or a tech.school.The reason being,is that I basically don''t like having to work any harder than I have to. The first job I got after graduating high school was working for a roofing company.The work was hot,dangerous,and grueling.The next job I got wasn''t much better.After a couple of more back breakers,I decided to go back to school.I went to a technical college,graduated,and moved from back breaking work to a lot better pay and working conditions.It was that one move that enabled me to make the kind of money to do the kind of things I wanted to do--sail,and travel.It enabled me to charter boats in various locations in the world,buy the 26 foot boat I have now, and accumulate the savings I have now for my next bigger boat.The list goes on,but I think you get the idea.I think your way will work,but it will be that--work.As you''ve pointed out,crime doesn''t pay,so the only other thing that leaves is mundane,low paying,and hard physical jobs.As long as you can accept that,you''ll be o.k.It will take you longer to save to buy your boat,longer to save the money to live the dream,and longer to build up any kind of savings for retirement for after you can no longer sail.I''m sure there are others that have done it though.I have two sons a little older than you.Reading your comments remind me a lot of the things they used to say.I tried to tell them the same things I''m telling you,but they wouldn''t listen.They had to do it their way.They paid the price by the sweat of their brow.They saw the writing on the wall and eventually made some decisions that changed their lives for the better. They turned out o.k.,and I''m sure you will too. Good luck with your plans,and dreams.

09-01-2003 10:10 PM

Magic_Moments

The Lady Washington is one boat on the west coast that uses volunteer crew each summer. They are based in Aberdeen, but this next week they will be in Port Townsend at the wooden boat festival.
Lady Washington is a replica of the first American ship to sail in Washington I think, but anyone who has seen the Pirates of the Carribean movie saw the Lady Washington and her crew as it was repainted and sailed to be in the movie last year.

Also there are some people who do not use engines here in Bellingham. One I saw used oars in his 28 foot boat that was about 7500lbs displacement. I have some reservations about depending on oar power in some of the currents around here. Not to mention useing sweeps in a tight marina environment, but if you picked your days to sail and stayed out anchored, it could work.

Ken

09-01-2003 08:12 PM

Jeffamc

Magnusmurphy you said that i am stupid and "you''ll think back on this discussion and you will cry into your pillow." but why, could you or someone eles tell me why i am going to make a huge mistake? I am looking at it like i will save alot of money, buy a inexpensive sailboat(under $40,000) 27-40ft. Put atleast $10,000 in the bank, then after that i will be able to sail. Find some odd jobs when the $10,000 runs out. I am not really seeing the huge mistake in this. If it is a smaller boat u wont need as much fuel, even some people go engineless- thats a HUGE savings. Then other then that its just paying for food, mabey docking or use anchorages, and then paying for other governmental rip offs. It just looks like a easy life to me, i mean my father graduated from high school and became a machinist- he hated it it was hell to him worked for the company for 25 years. My brother graduated from high school and does masonary- he hates it. Alot of famous people are high school dropouts actors, scientists, inventors, musicians, ect. The criminal lifestyle does not require a highschool diapolma, its just the chance of going to prison for 1-100 years makes it not a good idea. Im looking at sailing as just a good life style, i think its better then working as a full time laborer for some corporation. If I am sounding very immature and naive to whomever is reading this, reply and knock common sense into me.

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